Cisco College ENGL 2326 Section 01—American Literature Survey Cisco Campus Spring 2012 Professor Name: Catherine Mullinax Contact Information: Office location: Room 59C in Voc-Tech II/Language Arts Bldg. Office phone: 254-442-5171 Cell phone: 254-243-0214 (calling and texting) Email: catherine.mullinax@cisco.edu Office hours: M W 10:00am-12:00pm F 10:00am-11:00am & by appointment Course Description: The Cisco College catalog contains this description of English 2326: Selected significant works of American literature. May include study of movements, schools, or periods. Research or critical paper required. For repeatability purposes, students who take ENGL 2326 should not also take ENGL 2327 or ENGL 2328. Three lecture hours per week. Credit: 3 semester hours Course Structure and Credits: This section will meet in room 56 of the Vocational Technical II Bldg. every Tuesday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. This course does not include a lab. You will receive three hours of transferable credit upon successful completion of the course. Prerequisites: ENGL 1301 & ENGL 1302 Transferability: This course fulfills the Humanities requirement of the core curriculum for the Associate of Arts degree. Required Textbooks and Materials: The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 7th edition. Gen. Ed. Nina Baym. New York, Norton, 2008. ISBN# 978-0-393-93057-3 (pbk.) Note-taking materials. Suggested materials: Note cards for reading quiz study. Current MLA handbook. Removable electronic storage device. Folder to keep up with handouts and materials. A good collegiate dictionary. Purpose and Goal of the Course: A survey of American literature from the period of exploration and settlement to the present. Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character. Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
Demonstrate familiarity with literary periods and their legacy of important ideas.
Identify key ideas, representative authors and works, significant historical and cultural events, and characteristic perspectives and attitudes expressed in the literature of different periods and regions.
Demonstrate knowledge of major genres and forms of literature.
Understand the development of characteristic forms and styles of expression during the different historical periods and in different regions.
Develop an appreciation for the aesthetic principles that guide the scope and variety of works in the arts and humanities.
Analyze and synthesize aesthetic, historical, formal, and ideological approaches to interpreting literature through class discussion, presentations, written assignments, and exams.
Articulate an informed personal reaction to works in the arts and humanities.
Produce critical essays about the assigned readings. These essays should support a debatable thesis, utilize primary and secondary sources, document and cite those sources according to MLA style, avoid plagiarism, and express ideas in clear and grammatically correct prose.
Learning Objectives and Methods of Assessment:
40% 3 to 5 Exams (objective and/or essay in varying degrees) You will be tested on ALL course material. You are responsible for and will be held accountable for ALL course material.
20% Participation/Professionalism. This includes quizzes, assignments related to reading assignments, and group discussions. Quizzes over the readings will be given at the beginning of class and after breaks so don’t be late!
20% Two Annotated Reviews that will be uploaded via Blackboard.
20% Comprehensive Final Exam.
If at any point you are unsure as to how your grades for any assignment(s) is being calculated individually and/or toward your final grade, I will be happy to make an appointment to sit down with you and discuss any questions or concerns you may have. Failure to turn in or complete any assigned work will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment: No work = no credit. Grade Scale: A=superior (100-90); B=excellent (89-80); C=average (79-70); D=passing (69-60); F=failure or unacceptable (59 or below). NOTE: The grade you earn is the grade you get. I will not “give” grades, i.e. I will not bump a 69 to a 70 for mercy’s sake. You are ultimately responsible for your grade; I just calculate it. Grade Conversion: In order to tally grades, I convert all letter grades to the numbering system outlined above as follows: A+=98; A=95; A-=92; B+=88; B=85; B-=82; C+=78; C=75; C-=72; D+=68; D=65; D-=62; F=59 or below. Attendance Policy: Cisco College recognizes that absence from class may occur due to illness, death or illness in the immediate family, observance of a religious holiday, or participation in College-sponsored activity. (Absences due to participation in a College-sponsored activity must be authorized by the Vice President of Instructional Services. Illness must be corroborated by a doctor’s note.) When absences occur due to the reasons outlined above, they are considered excused, and, according to college policy, the instructor may require the work to be made up within two weeks. If you miss a class for any other reason except those listed above, your absence is considered unexcused. In such case, you will not have the opportunity to make up any missed class work. If the instructor deems a student failing due to excessive absences and/or failure to make up work due to absences, the student may be dropped from the class after 3 unexcused absences in a once-a-week night class. The student will receive a grade of W for the course if withdrawn before the “last day to drop with a W” and F if withdrawn after the “last day to drop with a W.” The “Six Withdrawals” Statement: Under Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, “an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.” This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in the Spring of 2007 and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in the Fall of 2007 or later. Any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if “(1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student’s transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.” Any student who ceases to attend class without officially withdrawing through the Admissions Office is subject to a grade of “F”. Absences immediately before or after a holiday may be counted as double absences. When class has begun, I will close the side door. If you are late, DO NOT enter through the side door if it is closed. Enter quietly and discreetly through the back door without disrupting class.I will take roll twice in an evening; once at the beginning of class and once when we come back from mid-class break. If you are not present for the 1st OR 2nd half of class, you will be counted absent for the entire class period. Three tardies (being late approximately 15 minutes after roll call) will constitute an absence. Make-Up Work: Major tests may be made up in case of excused absence only! Make-up tests will be arranged at the convenience of the instructor within one week. Make-up tests consist entirely of essay questions. Also, in order to make up a test, you must contact me on or before the date of the test. Only students with an excused absence will be able to make up a test. A study sheet/aid will be given prior to a major examination. Quizzes may be made up in case of excused absence only! The student will write a 2-page, double-spaced response (not a summary!) to the reading the quiz was to cover. The response will be graded in lieu of the quiz. If you miss the final, you must contact me IMMEDIATELY, and I will decide if I will grant you the opportunity to retake the final. Major Units of Study: We will be looking at 3 major literary periods in British Literature. Here is a broad overview of the units we will cover: Weeks 1-2: Beginnings to 1700 Weeks 3-4: American Literature 1700-1820 Weeks 5-7: Amer Lit 1820-1865 Weeks 8-9: Amer Lit 1865-1914 Weeks 10-12: Amer Lit 1914-1945 Weeks 13-15: Amer Lit since 1945 Final exam for this section will be Tuesday, May 8th from 7:45pm-9:45pm. We have a short amount of time to do a great deal of work, so please be aware that this course moves quickly and requires your attention on a daily basis. Resist the temptation to put off your English work until right before class! I will do my best to make sure you know what’s going on at all times, but also please be aware that I may have to change the schedule upon occasion. You will be informed, but you must keep up with the class or you could be in for some unpleasant surprises. Plagiarism: Plagiarismis forbidden. According to “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices,” “plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source.” All of the writing that you do and the ideas in your papers must either be your own or be correctly attributed to their source. Any attempt to pass off the work of someone else as your own is a serious offense. If I find that a writing assignment (major or minor) has been plagiarized, the assignment will automatically receive a failing grade.On your second plagiarism offense, you will automatically fail the course. Please be aware that cutting and pasting from internet sources and/or using all or part of an online essay IS plagiarism. Also, I expect all students to do their OWN WORK; therefore, doing your work “in groups” when the assignment has not specifically called for group collaboration is considered cheating. If I find that any assignments are strangely “similar”, all parties involved will automatically fail the assignment. Again, this is college; it’s time to think and work on your own. I am happy to look over drafts of assignments and to help you with documentation questions. I also do not mind you having someone else (mother, father, sibling, coach, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend) look over your paper to help you with grammatical or punctuation errors. However, resist the temptation to have one of these people “help you to write your paper”. Having someone outside of our class, who has not had the benefit of our readings, discussions, and instruction, apply his or her own “voice” to your work is dishonest. If you need a “professional eye” to look over a draft, come to me. I will be glad to set up a conference time or discuss your draft over email. Please, avoid plagiarizing your annotated reviews. They WILL receive a failing grade, and that one grade is worth 20% of your over-all grade in the course. If you need help writing your paper, schedule conferences with me and I can help you. However, avoid cutting and pasting your review summary (or analysis, for that matter) from your source, you must do your own writing and will receive a failing grade if you don’t. I can also help answer citation questions as well so that you do not risk plagiarism due to failure to cite your works properly in your paper. Course Content: College-level courses may include controversial, sensitive, and/or adult material. Students are expected to have the readiness for college-level rigor and content. Academic Integrity: It is the intent of Cisco College to foster a spirit of complete honesty and a high standard of integrity. The attempt of students to present as their own any work they have not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a serious offense and renders the offender liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension. Student Conduct: Students are expected to take responsibility in helping to maintain a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. I expect you to respect the rights of the other class members by not speaking or whispering when I am talking or when anyone else has the floor. I am granted the right by the college and the State of Texas to remove a student from the classroom when he/she ignores such civility. I also reserve the right to refer you to Cisco College’s Director of Student Success, if your classroom behavior or performance warrants it. A more detailed list of inappropriate behaviors is found in the current student handbook. *If you are on an athletic team and need a progress report signed, I will do so after class. Student Technology Use in Classroom: Students should silence and refrain from answering any communication device, which includes but is not limited to phones, pagers, and palm devices, during class. Permission to use a device or laptop for note-taking or assignments may be granted at the discretion of the instructor. If you are expecting an emergency call, you must let me know before class; please sit as close to the door as possible and put your phone on “vibrate” in order to slip out of the classroom as quietly as possible to take your emergency call. Also, please sit as close to the door as possible if you know that you have to leave the class early or if you arrive late. In testing situations, the use of iPods or phones or any other electronic device is strictly verboten. These items should be put away from sight and silenced. Again, in testing situations, use of any communication, electronic, or data storage device for a reason other than college emergencies or a use specified by the instructor may lead to a charge of academic dishonesty and sanctions under the Academic Integrity Policy. Changes to the Syllabus: The schedule and procedures in this syllabus are subject to change if deemed appropriate by the instructor. Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should notify the instructor the first week of class. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the necessary documentation to the Special Populations Coordinator.
ENGL 2326 Section 01—American Literature Survey
Cisco Campus
Spring 2012
Professor Name: Catherine Mullinax
Contact Information: Office location: Room 59C in Voc-Tech II/Language Arts Bldg.
Office phone: 254-442-5171
Cell phone: 254-243-0214 (calling and texting)
Email: catherine.mullinax@cisco.edu
Office hours: M W 10:00am-12:00pm
F 10:00am-11:00am
& by appointment
Course Description: The Cisco College catalog contains this description of English 2326:
Selected significant works of American literature. May include study of movements,
schools, or periods. Research or critical paper required. For repeatability purposes,
students who take ENGL 2326 should not also take ENGL 2327 or ENGL 2328. Three
lecture hours per week.
Credit: 3 semester hours
Course Structure and Credits: This section will meet in room 56 of the Vocational Technical II Bldg. every Tuesday from 6:30pm to 9:30pm.
This course does not include a lab. You will receive three hours of transferable credit upon successful completion of the course.
Prerequisites:
ENGL 1301 & ENGL 1302
Transferability: This course fulfills the Humanities requirement of the core curriculum for the Associate of Arts degree.
Required Textbooks and Materials:
The Norton Anthology of American Literature. Shorter 7th edition. Gen. Ed. Nina Baym. New York, Norton, 2008. ISBN# 978-0-393-93057-3 (pbk.)
Note-taking materials.
Suggested materials:
Note cards for reading quiz study.
Current MLA handbook.
Removable electronic storage device.
Folder to keep up with handouts and materials.
A good collegiate dictionary.
Purpose and Goal of the Course:
A survey of American literature from the period of exploration and settlement to the present. Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
Learning Objectives and Methods of Assessment:
- 40% 3 to 5 Exams (objective and/or essay in varying degrees) You will be tested on ALL course material. You are responsible for and will be held accountable for ALL course material.
- 20% Participation/Professionalism. This includes quizzes, assignments related to reading assignments, and group discussions. Quizzes over the readings will be given at the beginning of class and after breaks so don’t be late!
- 20% Two Annotated Reviews that will be uploaded via Blackboard.
- 20% Comprehensive Final Exam.
If at any point you are unsure as to how your grades for any assignment(s) is being calculated individually and/or toward your final grade, I will be happy to make an appointment to sit down with you and discuss any questions or concerns you may have.Failure to turn in or complete any assigned work will result in a grade of 0 for that assignment: No work = no credit.
Grade Scale: A=superior (100-90); B=excellent (89-80); C=average (79-70); D=passing (69-60); F=failure or unacceptable (59 or below). NOTE: The grade you earn is the grade you get. I will not “give” grades, i.e. I will not bump a 69 to a 70 for mercy’s sake. You are ultimately responsible for your grade; I just calculate it.
Grade Conversion: In order to tally grades, I convert all letter grades to the numbering system outlined above as follows: A+=98; A=95; A-=92; B+=88; B=85; B-=82; C+=78; C=75; C-=72; D+=68; D=65; D-=62; F=59 or below.
Attendance Policy: Cisco College recognizes that absence from class may occur due to illness, death or illness in the immediate family, observance of a religious holiday, or participation in College-sponsored activity. (Absences due to participation in a College-sponsored activity must be authorized by the Vice President of Instructional Services. Illness must be corroborated by a doctor’s note.) When absences occur due to the reasons outlined above, they are considered excused, and, according to college policy, the instructor may require the work to be made up within two weeks.
If you miss a class for any other reason except those listed above, your absence is considered unexcused. In such case, you will not have the opportunity to make up any missed class work.
If the instructor deems a student failing due to excessive absences and/or failure to make up work due to absences, the student may be dropped from the class after 3 unexcused absences in a once-a-week night class. The student will receive a grade of W for the course if withdrawn before the “last day to drop with a W” and F if withdrawn after the “last day to drop with a W.”
The “Six Withdrawals” Statement: Under Section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, “an institution of higher education may not permit a student to drop more than six courses, including any course a transfer student has dropped at another institution of higher education.” This statute was enacted by the State of Texas in the Spring of 2007 and applies to students who enroll in a public institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in the Fall of 2007 or later. Any course that a student drops is counted toward the six-course limit if “(1) the student was able to drop the course without receiving a grade or incurring an academic penalty; (2) the student’s transcript indicates or will indicate that the student was enrolled in the course; and (3) the student is not dropping the course in order to withdraw from the institution.”
Any student who ceases to attend class without officially withdrawing through the Admissions Office is subject to a grade of “F”.
Absences immediately before or after a holiday may be counted as double absences.
When class has begun, I will close the side door. If you are late, DO NOT enter through the side door if it is closed. Enter quietly and discreetly through the back door without disrupting class. I will take roll twice in an evening; once at the beginning of class and once when we come back from mid-class break. If you are not present for the 1st OR 2nd half of class, you will be counted absent for the entire class period. Three tardies (being late approximately 15 minutes after roll call) will constitute an absence.
Make-Up Work: Major tests may be made up in case of excused absence only! Make-up tests will be arranged at the convenience of the instructor within one week. Make-up tests consist entirely of essay questions. Also, in order to make up a test, you must contact me on or before the date of the test. Only students with an excused absence will be able to make up a test.
A study sheet/aid will be given prior to a major examination.
Quizzes may be made up in case of excused absence only! The student will write a 2-page, double-spaced response (not a summary!) to the reading the quiz was to cover. The response will be graded in lieu of the quiz.
If you miss the final, you must contact me IMMEDIATELY, and I will decide if I will grant you the opportunity to retake the final.
Major Units of Study: We will be looking at 3 major literary periods in British Literature. Here is a broad overview of the units we will cover:
Weeks 1-2: Beginnings to 1700
Weeks 3-4: American Literature 1700-1820
Weeks 5-7: Amer Lit 1820-1865
Weeks 8-9: Amer Lit 1865-1914
Weeks 10-12: Amer Lit 1914-1945
Weeks 13-15: Amer Lit since 1945
Final exam for this section will be Tuesday, May 8th from 7:45pm-9:45pm.
We have a short amount of time to do a great deal of work, so please be aware that this course moves quickly and requires your attention on a daily basis. Resist the temptation to put off your English work until right before class! I will do my best to make sure you know what’s going on at all times, but also please be aware that I may have to change the schedule upon occasion. You will be informed, but you must keep up with the class or you could be in for some unpleasant surprises.
Plagiarism: Plagiarismis forbidden. According to “Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism: The WPA Statement on Best Practices,” “plagiarism occurs when a writer deliberately uses someone else’s language, ideas, or other original (not common-knowledge) material without acknowledging its source.”
All of the writing that you do and the ideas in your papers must either be your own or be correctly attributed to their source. Any attempt to pass off the work of someone else as your own is a serious offense. If I find that a writing assignment (major or minor) has been plagiarized, the assignment will automatically receive a failing grade. On your second plagiarism offense, you will automatically fail the course. Please be aware that cutting and pasting from internet sources and/or using all or part of an online essay IS plagiarism. Also, I expect all students to do their OWN WORK; therefore, doing your work “in groups” when the assignment has not specifically called for group collaboration is considered cheating. If I find that any assignments are strangely “similar”, all parties involved will automatically fail the assignment. Again, this is college; it’s time to think and work on your own.
I am happy to look over drafts of assignments and to help you with documentation questions. I also do not mind you having someone else (mother, father, sibling, coach, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend) look over your paper to help you with grammatical or punctuation errors. However, resist the temptation to have one of these people “help you to write your paper”. Having someone outside of our class, who has not had the benefit of our readings, discussions, and instruction, apply his or her own “voice” to your work is dishonest. If you need a “professional eye” to look over a draft, come to me. I will be glad to set up a conference time or discuss your draft over email.
Please, avoid plagiarizing your annotated reviews. They WILL receive a failing grade, and that one grade is worth 20% of your over-all grade in the course. If you need help writing your paper, schedule conferences with me and I can help you. However, avoid cutting and pasting your review summary (or analysis, for that matter) from your source, you must do your own writing and will receive a failing grade if you don’t. I can also help answer citation questions as well so that you do not risk plagiarism due to failure to cite your works properly in your paper.
Course Content: College-level courses may include controversial, sensitive, and/or adult material. Students are expected to have the readiness for college-level rigor and content.
Academic Integrity: It is the intent of Cisco College to foster a spirit of complete honesty and a high standard of integrity. The attempt of students to present as their own any work they have not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty and administration as a serious offense and renders the offender liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension.
Student Conduct: Students are expected to take responsibility in helping to maintain a classroom environment that is conducive to learning. I expect you to respect the rights of the other class members by not speaking or whispering when I am talking or when anyone else has the floor. I am granted the right by the college and the State of Texas to remove a student from the classroom when he/she ignores such civility. I also reserve the right to refer you to Cisco College’s Director of Student Success, if your classroom behavior or performance warrants it. A more detailed list of inappropriate behaviors is found in the current student handbook.
*If you are on an athletic team and need a progress report signed, I will do so after class.
Student Technology Use in Classroom: Students should silence and refrain from answering any communication device, which includes but is not limited to phones, pagers, and palm devices, during class. Permission to use a device or laptop for note-taking or assignments may be granted at the discretion of the instructor. If you are expecting an emergency call, you must let me know before class; please sit as close to the door as possible and put your phone on “vibrate” in order to slip out of the classroom as quietly as possible to take your emergency call. Also, please sit as close to the door as possible if you know that you have to leave the class early or if you arrive late. In testing situations, the use of iPods or phones or any other electronic device is strictly verboten. These items should be put away from sight and silenced. Again, in testing situations, use of any communication, electronic, or data storage device for a reason other than college emergencies or a use specified by the instructor may lead to a charge of academic dishonesty and sanctions under the Academic Integrity Policy.
Changes to the Syllabus: The schedule and procedures in this syllabus are subject to change if deemed appropriate by the instructor.
Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should notify the instructor the first week of class. It is the student’s responsibility to provide the necessary documentation to the Special Populations Coordinator.